When it comes to spiritual health, no practice is more important than reading Scripture. Make 2026 the year you dedicate to reading the Bible. New habits need to be easy. Start small and keep at it. New habits take time to stick. But once the habit takes root, you’ll wonder how you ever got through your day without hearing the promises of God to reset your heart and mind.
Here are some plans I recommend and have found helpful:
- If you’ve never read the Bible, start by reading the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Or, try a Psalm a day. No Christian book is anywhere near as important or impactful as reading the Bible, specifically the Gospels (to spend time with Jesus) and the Psalms (to learn how to pray).
- The Read Scripture App which has been updated into The Bible Project is an incredible and free resource. It gives a brief, video overview of each book, giving the structure and key themes.
- YouVersion is a popular app with a multitude of reading and listening options for you to choose from.
- Dwell and the ESV app have dozens of reading plans available. The Bible was meant to be heard, and these apps have professional readers who will read the Bible to you each day in a plan that you choose.
- If you want to familiarize yourself with the whole Bible, try The Five-Day Reading Plan or The ESV Daily Reading Plan: it has OT, NT and Psalms readings for each day, as does the Book of Common Prayer. All these plans can be set up with a daily reminder. When (not if) you fall behind, just pick up on the present day, so you don’t get discouraged. This practice is meant to be life-giving, not shame-inducing.
Some Books on Learning to Love the Bible
Understanding the Bible by John Stott and Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks are classics. Also check out How To Eat Your Bible by Nate Pickowicz.
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a must for families.
God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible by Vaughn Roberts and According to Plan: the Unfolding Revelation of God by Graeme Goldsworthy will help you in understanding the unifying story of Scripture and seeing Christ as the center of God’s story. How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee does a great job of walking through how to read the different literary genres of the Bible.
There are different ways to read the Bible, and each is important. You can read a lot of material with a plan above to familiarize yourself with what Ed Clowney called The Unfolding Mystery. AND we must also learn to read slowly, meditating on God’s word. Lectio 365 can train you in how to pray the Bible, morning and evening.
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin gives a clear and concise plan for how to read every time you open your Bible. Kevin DeYoung’s Taking God at His Word is a doctrinal introduction, as is Timothy Ward’s Words of Life.
For those trying to figure out what you think of the Bible, Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bibleby Michael Bird is a short introduction. Some wording may trouble some readers, but he addresses many questions a skeptical student might ask. Also D.A. Carson’s The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures.
Finally, if you want to go deeper into the issue of Sacred Reading, see Eugene Peterson’s Eat This Book, Ruth Haley Barton’s Sacred Rhythms or, for an in-depth treatment, David Benner’s Opening to God.